Bed guard mounting



April 2, 1940. w. A. HILLENBRAND BED GUARD MOUNTING Filed Sept. 1, 19372 Sheets-Sheet 1 Willi am A. HiuEnh l ATTORNEY Ab 1940- w. A.HILLENBRAND BED GUARD MOUNTING Filed Sept. 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5.

FIG. 4.

4w .NVENTOR. 53 William R. Hillenbrand ATTORNE Patented Apr. 2, 1940PATENT OFF-ICE nan GUARD Momma -William A. Billenbrand, Batelville,Ind., asaignor to The Hill-Rom Company, Batesville, Ind., a

corporation Application September- 1, 1937, No. reacts This inventionrelates to hinged and adjustable side guards for beds and the like andto brackets for such side guards.

The principal object of.the inventionis to provide a novel side guard,having a new side guard bracket, which may be easily and quicklyattached to and detached from the variously shaped horizontal outermembers of bed frames and the like. 10 Another important object is toprovide such a guard which may be disposed, in a rigid upright position,along the side of the bed, above the frame thereof or may be readilyswung to a lowered position, out of the way, below the 15 frame. 3

Still another object is to provide a guard bracket, having latching andhinging means,

which means do not project upwardly to a position above a bed mattressor bed coverings. Such 20 means, which do project above mattresses and vthe like, are frequently in the way, are apt to A injure occupantsof thebeds and, because they project above mattresses and the like, may be tooeasily manipulated by the occupant. The 25 novel guard bracket hereindisclosed is so disposed that children or patients, for instance, whoshould not manipulate the latching and hing-.

hand, a person at the outside of the bed may' readily manipulate suchmeans, associated with the novel guard and guard brackets hereindisclosed.

Another object is to provide-a novel bed guard having attaching meanstherefor which is particularly sturdy.

Still another object is to provide a bed guard which does not requirelifting when the guard is 40 upright in order to latch it. in a rigidvertical position nor in order to unlatch it when it is desired to swingit to an out-of-the-way position. Another object is to provide such aguard, hav- 45 ing means for securing the guard to a bed frame,including adjustment screws or nuts, which are easily accessible to aperson outside of the bed, since they extend outwardly of the frontportion of the adjustment means. I

50 Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description; taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification andin which drawings:

55 Figure 1 is an elevation of a structure to which in Figure 4.

the novel guard is attached and secured in a guarding position. v

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a bracket, embodying a combinedadjusting and bolting means, for association with a bed guard.

Figure 3 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in verticalsection-ofthe means shown in Figure 2, attached as shown in Figure 1, toa structure having a channel iron frame.

Figure 4 is a view, somewhat similar to Figure 3, illustrating the meansassociated with the guard, attached as in Figure 1, to a structurehaving an angle iron frame.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the means shown Figure 6 is a fragmentof the means shown in-Figures 2 to 5 inclusive, illustrating a boltforming a portion thereof.

Figure 7 is asection substantially upon the line 1-1 of the means shownin Figure 4. In the drawings, whereinfor the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similarreferencecharactors designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, the letter A may designate a structure, such as a bed to whichthe novel guard structure B is attached, which guard structure B mayinclude the wall portion or guard element C and the attaching, adjustingand bolting means D for the guard element 0.

"The structure A, shown by way of example,

is a conventional bed, having a frame, including an outer horizontallydisposed side member or rail ll,-raised above the floor and supported bya bed head I2 and foot l3. Upon the frame rest the springs M which, inturn, may support a mattress l5 The side member ll may be ofchannel-like cross section, as shown'in Figure 3, where there are twoparalleling, inwardly-extending, horizontal flange portions l6 and I1and 40 a vertical web portion [8 joining the portions l6 and" and facingoutwardly. In other cases, the side member ll may be of angle-ironconstruction, as shown in Figure 4, where there is but oneinwardly-extending horizontal flange portion I6 and a vertical flangeportion is joining the portion 16 and facing outwardly. However, thenovel meansD, to be later described, is adapted to be adjustablysecured, as well, to other forms of side members associated with bedsand the like, as will be readily apparenhafter said means D isdescribed.

The guard structure B, which includes the wall portion or guard elementC and the adjustable mounting bracket means D is preferably providedassembied.ssillustratedinl"iguresland3to6. However, the means D may beprovided separately since it is quite readily attached to a suit ableguard element.

As for the guard element C, it may comprise a tubular rectangular frame23, having paralleling side members 2| and 22 and paralleling endmembers 23 and 24 joining the side members 2| and 22. The length of thisframe 23 is preferably somewhat less than the length of the structure A,and the height of the frame may vary, but it is preferred that it beless than the distance from the surface upon which the structure A reststo the bottom of the side member Spaced apart uprigts 25 may join theside members 2| and 22 and be spaced from the end members 23 and 24.Depending upon the number of bracket means D employed with a guardstructure C, the lowermost side member (designated as 22) is providedwith a pair of perforations 23, with their axes substantially aligningand vertical. There are two of these axially aligning perforations foreach means D employed.

The attaching, adjusting and bolting means D preferably comprises abracket plate which includes a vertically disposed arm of plate portion30, from the upper end of which may extend inwardly a horizontallydisposed arm or rest portion 3|, so that the portions and 3| have aninverted L-shape. This arm or plate portion 33 is preferably providedwith a vertically extending slot 32, spaced from the bottom of the armor plate portion 30 as well as from the arm or rest portion 3|.

Associated with the arm or plate portion 30 is an upper V-shaped clampmember 33. Preferably, this clamp member 33 includes a horizontal slideportion 34, having a longitudinally extending slot 35, a downturned jawportion 33 at one end and a downturned arm portion 31 at the other end.The downturned portion may be provided with a screw threaded perforation33. So that the clamp member 33 may slide relative to the rest portion3|, a pair of spaced apart guide members or pins 39 may extend throughthe slot 35 and be rigidly secured, in any approved way, to the portion3|. Cooperating with the screw threads in the perforation 38 may be athumb screw 40 which extends through the perforation and bears, at itsfree end, upon the plate portion 35.

Also associated with the L-shaped bracket plate isalower L-shapedclampmember including a slide orshankportion 4 I ,adapted to slidevertically over a part of the inner face of the plate portion 33. Thisslide or shank portion 4| preferably diifers from the plate portion 30in being somewhat channel-shaped, as may be seen particularly in Figure'7, and to the web of which may be secured, in any approved way, such asby welding or soldering, a screw threaded projection 42,

. which extends from the outer face of the slide portion 4|, facing theplate portion 30. This projection 42 may comprise a machine screw, withthe head thereof secured to the slide portion 4|. The projection 42extends through the slot 32 in the plate portion 30 and is provided witha suitable cooperating means 43, such as a wing nut, so that the slideportion 4| may be fixedly secured in various vertically adjustedpositions with respect to the plate portion 33.

To the upper end of the slide or shank portion 44 may be secured, as bywelding, a horizontally disposed butt or jaw portion 44 paralleling andfacing the arm or rest portion 3| and paralleling the slide portion 34.

Itwi1lbenotedinl'lgures3and4thatthearm or rest portion 3| is not as longas the butt or jaw portion 44 and that the free end of the portion 44is'upwardly and inwardly turned upon itself sons to provide a hook-likeprojection 45. It will also be noted, particularly in Figure 5, that thegreater portion of the upper clamp member 33 is to one side of thehorizontally disposed jaw portion 44.

So that the slide or shank portion 4| will not swing from side to side,a guideway therefor may be provided. This preferably comprises asubstantially U-shaped guide clip or member 45, with the central portionor web 4l-welded or otherwise secured to the inner face of the arm orplate portion 30 and with the flanges 43 extending from said inner faceand disposed to either side of the slide or shank portion 4|, as may beseen in Figures 5 and 7. Preferably, this guideway is disposed at thebottom section of the arm or plate portion 30 and has an arcuate cut-out43 in its upper edge to accommodate the projection 42. The web portion41 of the V-shaped guide member 4t has a second function, for it spacesthe slide or shank portion 4| from the arm or plate portion 30, althoughthey may be in facing relation. Thus, when the means D is employed inassociation with an angle-iron side member N, there will not be anydecided canting of the slide or shank portion 4| when the lower end ofthe vertical portion 13 of the angle-iron side member II is between theupper end of the slide or shank portion 4| and the arm or plate portion33, as illustrated in Figure 4. From Figure 3 it will be seen that thecentral portion 41 of the guideway 46 interferes in no way with thefunctioning of the bracket means when em-- ployed with a channel-ironside frame member.

Supported at one vertical edge of the bracket plate portion 33, oppositeto that edge portion carrying the lower clamp member, and projectingoutwardly from the plate portion 30 as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 7, is ahollow upright or standard 53 preferably formed from square tubing andincluding upper and lower hingedly connected sections 5| and 52respectively. The lower section 52 may be rigidly secured to the plateportion 30 as by welding as shown in Figure 7. The upper section 5|,when the sections 5| and 52 are in vertical axial alignment, extendsupwardly above the rest plate 3| and is hingedly connected to the lowersection 52 by a hinge 53 disposed at the outer or front wall of theupright whereby the upper section may swing outwardly and downwardly asshown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and is limited against inward swingingbeyond a vertical position by abutment with the upper end of the lowerupright section 52. The upper section 5| is provided in its side walls.and adjacent its upper end, with a pair of horizontally aligningopenings 54 for receiving the lowermost side member or rail 22 of theguard frame 23. This lower side member 22 may be rigidly secured to thesection 5| as by welding, and with the perforations 26 therein disposedaxially of the section 5|. Provided in the upper end of the section 5|is a perforation 55 which axially aligns with the perforations 26 andslidably receives a releasing pin or rod 53 which is provided at itsouter end with an eye 51 forming a hand hold. The inner end of the rod56 projects into the hollow upper upright section 5| and isconnected toa locking bolt or plunger 53 which has sliding movement in the sectionsof the upright 50. This locking bolt 58 when in its lowered or lockingposition as in Figure 6, extends across the hinge line of the uprightsections 5| and 52 and locks these sections in axial alignment so thatthe guard wall is held in rigid upright position. When the bolt 58 israised by the rod 56 to a position wholly within the upper section 5|and above the hinge line of the sections, the guard wall is free toswing outward toward the operator and away from the bed.

So that this bolt 58 and rod 56 may be readily assembled within theupper section 5|, the lower portion of the rod 56 may be initiallystraight and inserted into a socket 59, formed longitudinally in theupper end of the plunger or bolt 58, as the latter is inserted into theopen end of the section 5|. By drilling a hole in the front wall of thesection 5|, substantially as shown at in Figures 2, 3 and 6, anddrilling a hole 6| transversely of the bolt 58 to join the socket 59when the bolt is positioned so as to align the hole 6| with theperforation 60, a suitable punch is inserted through the perforation 60and hole 6| and being struck so that the rod is set, as shown in Figure6, whereupon it will not become detached from the bolt 58.

The means D may be attached to the guard element C in several ways. Forinstance, the side member 22 of the frame 20 may be welded or solderedat the openings 54 to the means D or, even if not welded or soldered,the rod 56 will prevent both longitudinal movement of the guard elementC as well as swinging movement thereof relative to the means D.

Preferably, for convenience, there will be provided left and right handattaching, adjusting and bolting means D.

Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown anddescribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bed guard mounting, an angle-shaped bracket plate providing ahorizontal rest portion and a depending vertical plate portion, saidplate portion having a vertical slot, an upper U-shaped clamp memberslidable on the rest portion, a clamping screw for the clamp member, alower L-shaped clamp member movable longitudinally and perpendicularlyof the vertical plate portion, clamping means for the lower clamp memberincluding a threaded member extending thru said slot, and means forsupporting a guard wall on the bracket plate.

2. A clamp for attachment to an angle rail including a first flange anda second flange or to a channel rail including a first flange, a web,and a second flange, said clamp comprising an angle bracket including afirst arm of a length less than the width of the first flange of saidangle rail or channel rail, and a second arm of a length greater thanthe width of the second flange of said angle rail or the web of saidchannel rail, a

first jaw slidably carried by the first arm and extending therefrom forengagement with the first flange of said angle rail or channel rail,adjusting means for the first jaw, a second jaw including a shankportion disposed in inwardly spaced relation to said second arm and abutt portion extending laterally from the shank portion, said shankportion being movable longitudinally and perpendicularly of said secondarm to position said shank portion in engagement with the second flangeof the angle rail or to position said butt portion in engagement withthe second flange of the channel rail, and adjusting means for thesecond jaw.

3. A clamp for attachment to an angle or chan nel rail, said clampcomprising an angle bracket including a first arm and a second arm, saidarms for engagement with adjacent faces of a rail, an angular jawincluding a shank portion inwardly of said second arm and a buttportion, means guiding said shank portion for movement longitudinallyand perpendicularly of the second arm, said guiding means spacing theshank portion. from the free end of said second arm, and meansadjustably connecting said shank portion and said second arm, saidconnecting means being spaced from said guiding means, for securing saidbutt portion in engagement with a rail, said shank portion being spacedby said guide means substantially parallel to said second arm of theangle bracket upon engagement of said butt portion with therail.

WILLIAM A. HILLEN'BRAND.

